Personalized temporary unsubscribe mechanisms for email subscriptions

Abstract

In some embodiments, techniques for generating personalized unsubscribe options for emails are provided. For example, a subscription management system can access information associated with an active email subscription and a user profile for a user. The subscription management system can determine a temporary unsubscribe time period for the user based on the information associated with the active email subscription and the profile of the user. The subscription management system can embed a temporary unsubscribe option in an email to be sent to the user. The temporary unsubscribe option can represent the temporary unsubscribe time period. The subscription management system can cause the email to be sent to the user and receiving a selection of the temporary unsubscribe option indicating the temporary unsubscribe time period. The subscription management system can change the active email subscription to a suppressed email subscription associated with the temporary unsubscribe time period.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method in which one or more processing devices perform operations comprising:
 accessing, by a subscription management system having a processor and a memory, information associated with an active email subscription by a user and a profile of the user; 
 determining, by the subscription management system, a temporary unsubscribe time period for the user from the information associated with the active email subscription and the profile of the user; 
 embedding, by the subscription management system, a temporary unsubscribe option in an email to be sent to the user, the temporary unsubscribe option representing the temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 causing, by the subscription management system, the email to be sent to the user; 
 receiving, by the subscription management system, a selection of the temporary unsubscribe option; 
 suppressing, by the subscription management system, the active email subscription of the user for the temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 prior to the temporary unsubscribe time period expires:
 determining, by the subscription management system, an updated temporary unsubscribe time period for the user based on the suppressed email subscription and the profile of the user; 
 embedding, by the subscription management system, a second temporary unsubscribe option in a reminder email to be sent to the user, the second temporary unsubscribe option representing the updated temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 causing the reminder email to be sent to the user; 
 receiving a selection of the second temporary unsubscribe option; and 
 extending the suppression of the active email subscription by the updated temporary unsubscribe time period. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the temporary unsubscribe time period for the user comprises one or more of:
 estimating the temporary unsubscribe time period according to a function of a set of factors; or 
 determining the temporary unsubscribe time period via a machine learning model using the set of factors as input. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein a training dataset for the machine learning model is generated based on selected unsubscribe time periods by a plurality of users from temporary unsubscribe time periods determined according to the function. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the email comprises:
 embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in a body of the email; or 
 embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in a header of the email. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the header of the email comprises:
 generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link comprising information of the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 causing the URL link to be displayed along with sender information of the email in a user interface presenting the email to the user; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe time period comprises: 
 receiving an activation of the URL link; 
 generating a webpage presenting the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option based on information of the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option contained in the URL link; and 
 receiving the selection from at least the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option from the webpage. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the body of the email comprises:
 generating multiple Uniform Resource Locator (URL) links for the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 embedding the multiple URL links in the body of the email; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option comprises receiving a selection among the multiple URL links in the email. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the body of the email comprises:
 generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link comprising information of the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 embedding the URL link in the body of the email; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option comprises: 
 receiving an activation of the URL link; 
 generating a webpage presenting the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option based on information of the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option contained in the URL link; and 
 receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option from the webpage. 
 
     
     
       8. A system comprising:
 a data repository for storing data comprising active email subscriptions of users and user profiles; and 
 a processor executing a subscription management module, the subscription management module having access to the data stored in the data repository and configured to perform operations comprising:
 determining a temporary unsubscribe time period for a user from information associated with an active email subscription and a profile of the user; 
 embedding a temporary unsubscribe option in an email to be sent to the user, the temporary unsubscribe option representing the temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 causing the email to be sent to the user; 
 receiving a selection of the temporary unsubscribe option; 
 suppressing the active email subscription of the user for the temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 prior to the temporary unsubscribe time period expires:
 determining an updated temporary unsubscribe time period for the user based on the suppressed email subscription and the profile of the user; 
 embedding a second temporary unsubscribe option in a reminder email to be sent to the user, the second temporary unsubscribe option representing the updated temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 causing the reminder email to be sent to the user; 
 receiving a selection of the second temporary unsubscribe option; and 
 extending the suppression of the active email subscription by the updated temporary unsubscribe time period. 
 
 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein determining the temporary unsubscribe time period for the user comprises one or more of:
 estimating the temporary unsubscribe time period according to a function of a set of factors derived from the information associated with the active email subscription and the profile of the user; or 
 determining the temporary unsubscribe time period via a machine learning model using the set of factors as input. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein a training dataset for the machine learning model is generated based on selected unsubscribe time periods by a plurality of users from temporary unsubscribe time periods determined according to the function. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the email comprises:
 embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in a body of the email; or 
 embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in a header of the email. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the header of the email comprises:
 generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link comprising information of the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 causing the URL link to be displayed along with sender information of the email in a user interface presenting the email to the user; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe time period comprises: 
 receiving an activation of the URL link; 
 generating a webpage presenting the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option based on information of the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option contained in the URL link; and 
 receiving the selection from at least the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option from the webpage. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the body of the email comprises:
 generating multiple Uniform Resource Locator (URL) links for the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 embedding the multiple URL links in the body of the email; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option comprises receiving a selection among the multiple URL links in the email. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the body of the email comprises:
 generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link comprising information of the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 embedding the URL link in the body of the email; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option comprises: 
 receiving an activation of the URL link; 
 generating a webpage presenting the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option based on information of the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option contained in the URL link; and 
 receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option from the webpage. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code that is stored thereon, the program code executable by one or more processing devices for performing operations comprising:
 determining a temporary unsubscribe time period for a user from information associated with an active email subscription and a profile of the user; 
 embedding a temporary unsubscribe option in an email to be sent to the user, the temporary unsubscribe option representing the temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 causing the email to be sent to the user; 
 receiving a selection of the temporary unsubscribe option; 
 suppressing the active email subscription of the user for the temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 prior to the temporary unsubscribe time period expires:
 determining an updated temporary unsubscribe time period for the user based on the suppressed email subscription and the profile of the user; 
 embedding a second temporary unsubscribe option in a reminder email to be sent to the user, the second temporary unsubscribe option representing the updated temporary unsubscribe time period; 
 causing the reminder email to be sent to the user; 
 receiving a selection of the second temporary unsubscribe option; and 
 extending the suppression of the active email subscription by the updated temporary unsubscribe time period. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the email comprises:
 embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in a body of the email; or 
 embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in a header of the email. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the header of the email comprises:
 generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link comprising information of the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 causing the URL link to be displayed along with sender information of the email in a user interface presenting the email to the user; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe time period comprises: 
 receiving an activation of the URL link; 
 generating a webpage presenting the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option based on information of the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option contained in the URL link; and 
 receiving the selection from at least the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option from the webpage. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the body of the email comprises:
 generating multiple Uniform Resource Locator (URL) links for the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 embedding the multiple URL links in the body of the email; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option comprises receiving a selection among the multiple URL links in the email. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , embedding the temporary unsubscribe option in the body of the email comprises:
 generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link comprising information of the temporary unsubscribe option and an additional unsubscribe option; and 
 embedding the URL link in the body of the email; and 
 wherein receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option comprises: 
 receiving an activation of the URL link; 
 generating a webpage presenting the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option based on information of the temporary unsubscribe option and the additional unsubscribe option contained in the URL link; and 
 receiving the selection of the temporary unsubscribe option from the webpage. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein determining the temporary unsubscribe time period for the user comprises one or more of:
 estimating the temporary unsubscribe time period according to a function of a set of factors derived from the information associated with the active email subscription and the profile of the user; or 
 determining the temporary unsubscribe time period via a machine learning model using the set of factors as input.